Device for scraping off and collection of medical refuse and for prevention of its spread

ABSTRACT

A scraping off and collecting device for medical refuse consisting of a collar with scraping means for scraping the refuse off medical instruments, and a throw-away beaker for collection of the refuse, the collar being made with stiffening projections at an angle to the plane of the collar. The bottom of the collar is punched out so that scraping teeth are formed.

United States Patent Hagglund 1' June 6,1972

DEVICE FOR SCRAPING OFF AND COLLECTION OF MEDICAL REFUSE AND FOR PREVENTION OF ITS SPREAD Inventor: John Martin Hagglund, Valhallavagen 45A, Omskoldsvik, Sweden Filed: Sept. 4, 1970 Appl. No.: 69,832

Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 9, 1969 Sweden ..12408/69 1 32 1, 108/25 1m. c1. ..A6lg 15/00, B651 7/00 Field of Search ....15/257.9, 257.1, 236, 105,

15/221, 245, 257.8; 220/90, 85 H, 1 T, 24 GC; 128/275; 285/189; 312/140.4, 140.1, 209, 229; 108/24, 25, 26, 27; 32/1; 132/1; 150/.5

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,464,575 9/ 1969 Arslanian et a1 ..150/.5 3 ,329,307 7/1967 Jacobson ..220/90 2,124,021 7/1938 Akers .220/90 3,146,944 9/1964 Grippi, Jr... ..312/209 3,045,887 7/1962 Caine ..150/.5

Primary Examiner-Leon G. Machlin Attorney-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak 57 Ansmc'r A scraping off and collecting device for medical refuse consisting of a collar with scraping means for scraping the refuse off medical instruments, and a throw-away beaker for collec-' tion of the refuse, the collar being made with stiffening projections at an angle to the plane of the co11ar.The bottom of the collar is punched out so that scraping teeth are formed.

14 Claims, 4 Drawing figures PATENTEDJUN 6 m2 SHEET 1 [If 2 PATENTmJun 6l972 I 3.667.079

SHEET 2 "F 2 DEVICEF OR SCRAPING OFF AND COLLECTION OF MEDICAL REFUSE AND FOR PREVENTION OF ITS SPREAD The invention. relates to a device for scraping off and.collecting in a vessel of, for example, tooth and amalgam residues, wads, compresses and other medical refuse etc. in medical and dental clinical practice. For this it is required that the refuse can be scraped off the instrument with which it is conveyed to the vessel. The refuse must also be prevented from spreading outside the vessel.

The present invention proposes for this purpose a combination of a collar with scraping means for scraping the refuse off the-instrument or the like and athrow-away beaker for collection of the refuse. The scraping collar is made up structurally with several planes having stiffening projections at an angle to the plane of the collar, the lowest plane, which is the bottom of the collar, being punched out or the like in such a way that scraping teeth are formed for scraping ofi the refuse. These scraping teeth should preferentially have a more acute angle than the projections on the scraping collar. By letting the scraping teeth extend a short distance in the plane of the bottom of the collar they can be made slightly resilient, which facilitates the scraping. For ease of manufacture of the device according to the invention it is advisable that the scraping collar should be detachably affixable to the beaker.

When scraping off an instrument against the scraping edge of the scraping collar the beaker may readily tip over if it has a small bottom area. To facilitate this scraping and prevent tipping or the like, it is proposed in a further development of the invention that the bottom of the beaker is extended laterally, so forming a pedestal which prevents easy tipping, overturning or the like of the beaker. The same technical effect is obtained by a modification according to the invention, the beaker being detachably affixed at the bottom to a separate such pedestal. This fixation can suitably take place in a bosslike annular elevation on the pedestal. To give the pedestal the necessary stability, it should preferentially have dimensionally stabilizing stiffening strips, corrugation or the like.

Apart from the fact that the beaker can no longer easily tip or overturn through being provided with a pedestal, it should also be prevented from readily sliding laterally during scraping of an instrument or the like against the affixed scraping collar. To avoid this it is proposed according to another further development of the invention that the pedestal should be so shaped as to be weighted down in order to oppose such movement. This weighting down can advantageously be done by placing instruments on the pedestal. Since dentists, for example, need several instruments during their work, some of the stiffening strips of the pedestal can be shaped as supporting strips with recesses for reception of these instruments, by means of which the advantage is gained that the pedestal is weighted down in the desired way and that the dentist has all instruments placed close to the scraping and collecting device for the dental clinical refuse accumulating during the work.

Dentists in particular, however, sometimes have limited space available, for which reason it is alternatively proposed according to the invention that the refuse beaker be detachably affixed by means of the scraping collar to a ring of suitable width and a bolt for attachment to a dentist's table or the like. This ring provides a solution to the same problem, namely prevention of overturning of the beaker and lateral sliding during scraping of instruments. The ring should preferably be made internally conical corresponding to the conicity of the beaker, with a depression cut in the middle of the inside of the ring.

The placing of the refuse in the container prevents it from spreading during the work. To prevent spreading also when the beaker with contents is thrown away, it is proposed according to a further development of the invention that the scraping collar can be closed with a lid or the like. The beaker and contents can then be thrown away without the refuse leaving the beaker and contaminating the environment.

ventional type and pressed onto the beaker, being held to it by.v

the tension which arises if the upper edge of the'collar is of slightly smaller diameter than the edge of the beaker.

The invention will now be described with reference to the attached drawing, in which FIG. 1 shows an enlarged reproduction of a part of two al- I temative embodiments of thescraping collar,

FIG. 2 a scraping collar affixed to a detached beaker which in turn is affixed to a traylike pedestal with supporting strips having recesses for the reception of instruments, I

FIG. 3 a beaker made in one piece with a tray shaped for the reception of instruments, the scraping collar being drawn above the beaker,

FIG. 4 a beaker with scraping collar affixed to a ring attached to a table-top. The ring is shown at the bottom of FIG. 4 in cross-section. l

The scraping collar m is pressed down below itsupper edge which grips around the top of the beaker and has a number of concentric planes a, the lowest plane c constituting the actual bottom. The latter may lie, for example, 10-12 mm below the upper edge of the collar m. The various planes are joined together by vertical or oblique planes b, so forming stiffening projections. in the bottom plane 0 is punched a hole in the form of a multipointed star. Through its acute-angled edges the star formsa number of scraping teeth c which facilitate the removal of refuse from the instruments. The punched hole may be either entirely stanshaped, as mentioned, or have a partly straight or bent edge.

The collection of the medical refuse takes place in the refuse beaker g combined with the scraping collar m. For reasons of hygiene and from practical considerations the invention comprises, in addition to the scraping collar m and the container g, a pedestal I of relatively thin material, preferentially in the form of a tray I adapted to be placed on a conventional metal tray or the like so as entirely to cover the latter. The plastic tray has stiffening strips e, partially (d) provided with recesses for normally occurring instruments, which are thus within easy reach and weigh down the tray I and prevent it from slipping sideways. According to FIG. 2 the tray has an annular, bosslike elevation f for attachment of the beaker g, or, according to FIG. 3, there is formed out of the tray a double-walled, upward extending container 3 on which is placed'a scraping collar m. I

For small dental tables, on which there is no space for an instrument tray, the refuse beaker g with scraping collar m is, according to FIG. 4, connected to the edge of the table by means of a ring it so designed that it closes well around the beaker with the necessary width one-quarter to one-sixth of the height of the beaker and internally the same conical shape as the outside of the beaker, so that the latter is rigidly held. The ring h, which may be made of metal or plastic, with a depression k cut on the inside in its mid-area, is attached to the edge of the table at a suitable distance from it by means of a short bolt 1' fitting into the ring it and attached to the table by a suitable fastening, by screwing or other suitable means.

A combined throw-away tray with throw-away refuse beaker greatly facilitates the work of the dental .or medicalnurse and permits a considerable saving of time through the possibility of "laying instrument trays in advance for a large number of patients. A refuse beaker in a holder attached to the table is a convenient alternative when a tray cannot be stiffening portion and also a peripheral relatively resilient portion and means for attaching the collar member to the support means whereby the resilient portion of the projections is capable of providing a snapping action to ,assist in removing the medical refuse from the medical instruments and further in helping to keep the projections free of medical refuse.

2. A device as in claim 1 where the support means includes a platform member having an integral upwardly projecting container for receiving the collar member.

3. Adevice as in claim 1 wherein the support means includes a ring and fastener. w

4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the stiffening portion is ste dto rovide additional strength.

Pp p

5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the stiffening portion and theresilient portion have a triangular shape with the resilient portion having a greater acute angle.

v6. A device as in'claim 1 wherein the projections extend along the entire inner periphery of the collar member.

7. A device as in claim 1 wherein the collar member is formed from a thin plastic foil.

8. A device as in claim 1" further including a container for receiving the medical refuse and for supporting the collar member.

9. A device as in claim 8 wherein the support means further includes a platform extending relatively parallel to the plane of the collar member whereby lateral support is provided.

10. A device as in claim 9 wherein the platform includes ribs for strength.

1 l. A device as in claim 10 wherein the ribs are notched to provide holders for medical instruments.

12. A device as in claim 1 wherein the support means further includes a container for receiving the medical refuse, and a platform base member having means for securing the container to the platform base member.

' 13. A device as in claim 12- wherein the device is of thin plastic and the platform base has stiffening ribs.

14. A device as in claim 13 wherein the projections have a triangular shape. 

1. A device for scraping off and collecting medical refuse from medical instruments comprising a collar member, a support means, scraping means for scraping the refuse off of the medical instruments including a series of projections arranged on the collar member, at least some of the projections having a stiffening portion and also a peripheral relatively resilient portion and means for attaching the collar member to the support means whereby the resilient portion of the projections is capable of providing a snapping action to assist in removing the medical refuse from the medical instruments and further in helping to keep the projections free of medical refuse.
 2. A device as in claim 1 where the support means includes a platform member having an integral upwardly projecting container for receiving the collar member.
 3. A device as in claim 1 wherein the support means includes a ring and fastener.
 4. A device as in claim 1 wherein the stiffening portion is stepped to provide additional strength.
 5. A device as in claim 1 wherein the stiffening portion and the resilient portion have a triangular shape with the resilient portion having a greater acute angle.
 6. A device as in claim 1 wherein the projections extend along the entire inner periphery of the collar member.
 7. A device as in claim 1 wherein the collar member is formed from a thin plastic foil.
 8. A device as in claim 1 further including a container for receiving the medical refuse and for supporting the collar member.
 9. A device as in claim 8 wherein the support means further includes a platform extending relatively parallel to the plane of the collar member whereby lateral support is provided.
 10. A device as in claim 9 wherein the platform includes ribs for strength.
 11. A device as in claim 10 wherein the ribs are notched to provide holders for medical instruments.
 12. A device as in claim 1 wherein the support means further includes a container for receiving the medical refuse, and a platform base member having means for securing the container to the platform base member.
 13. A device as in claim 12 wherein the device is of thin plastic and the platform base has stiffening ribs.
 14. A device as in claim 13 wherein the projections have a triangular shape. 